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Henkel invests between 25 and 40 million euros in the aerospace sector in Montornés

Pilar Cruz, Finance Director at Henkel Ibérica

The new project will be developed in the factory at Montornés del Vallés for the manufacture of adhesives for the aerospace industry

What were the beginnings of Henkel in Spain?Henkel was set up in Spain in 1961 after acquiring the Spanish company Gota de Ámbar, S.A., which had been founded in 1941 with capital stock of 8.5 million pesetas (51,086 euros). Henkel Ibérica currently employs a workforce of 1,000 people.

When did Henkel decide to open its factory in Spain?Henkel's factory in Montornés del Vallés opened in 1964 on the industrial estate of Riera Marsà, the first of its kind in Spain to be equipped with a housing service, retail outlets and a wastewater treatment plant shared with other companies. The factory started out producing detergents, and 12 years later moved into adhesives.

What investment has Henkel made in Spain so far?Henkel has invested continually since its arrival in Spain, with a view to improving its facilities and guaranteeing the optimal operation of all its centers.

It has also pursued a growth strategy by integrating important companies or brands such as Casamitjana Mensa (1985), the manufacturer of the first bleach in the country under the Conejo-Estrella brand, and which subsequently also launched Neutrex. In 1992 Henkel bought La Toja and Licor del Polo, two highly traditional brands.

Henkel had several factories in Spain, but it made the decision to gradually centralize all its production in Montornés as its main cutting-edge competitive plant. This concentration in a single hub enabled the plant to progressively increase its production capacity and serve as a model for the group. For example, it was one of the first factories in the group to have a totally automated smart warehouse. In 2010 it made a major investment when it expanded into liquid detergent and adhesives, among others.

Henkel currently has one factory (Montornés del Vallés), two offices on the Iberian Peninsula (Barcelona and Lisbon), one warehouse (Azuqueca de Henares), three Schwarzkopf Professional academies, and 4 four R+D+i centers.

In recent years, the most important investment has gone into creating new facilities for three new R+D centers in Catalonia between 2012 and 2013. Two of these are in the Parc de Recerca in the UAB (PRUAB) in Bellaterra, and a third workgroup is located in the Leitat technology center in Terrassa. This meant creating 55 new jobs, all researchers, who are mainly dedicated to studying new concepts and materials for producing adhesive products with a high added value, capable of adapting to the future needs of clients and society.

The new project for the development of adhesives for the aerospace industry, which will be implemented in the factory in Montornés del Vallés, represents an investment in new buildings and machinery of between 25 and 40 million euros. The project will generate around 50 jobs.

How important is Spain in Henkel's corporate strategy?Henkel Ibérica operates in Spain and Portugal in its three business areas: Laundry & Home Care, Beauty Care and Adhesive Technologies. Some of the brands under which it operates are WiPP Express, Dixan, Tenn, Mistol, Conejo, Estrella, Vernel, Micolor, Neutrex, Diadermine, Licor del Polo, La Toja, Magno, Schwarzkopf, Pritt and Loctite.

Sales in 2016 were over 550 million euros, making it one of the most important countries for the Henkel Group in Europe.

Is the aerospace sector its priority commitment?The decision to expand our production capacity for the aerospace industry is in line with our Henkel 2020+ goals, announced in November 2016, to promote and fund growth. Depending on the situation of the market, the worldwide fleet of passenger aircraft is expected to double by 2034. The new aerospace production plant is Henkel's response to the need for additional production capacity to support global growth.

The expansion of the Montornès plant is an integral part of our strategy revolving around our two production centers to cover our two main markets: United States and Europe. We believe this strategy is an important asset in terms of proximity to the clients, the supply chain and the regulatory requirements. The new plant will bring us even nearer our European clients.